The future continues to look bright for one of the sport's rising stars.

Junior welterweight contender Ernesto "Tito" Mercado got another notable name under his belt by showing superior speed, power and accuracy to control, dominate and blast out Antonio Moran in six rounds on Saturday.

Mercado (18-0 17 KOs) dropped Moran (31-8-1 21 KOs) once in the opening round and twice in the sixth to get the stoppage win at 2:37, as referee Michael Margado mercifully waved off the action.

Mercado’s fight-ending sequence came courtesy of a left uppercut that wobbled and dropped Moran in the sixth. Moran picked himself off the canvas, but his body language was poor. Mercado pounced with a powerful three-punch combination that dropped Moran for a third and final time.

Mercado, a prized prospect turned surefire future title challenger, outlanded Moran 102-40, according to CompuBox.

The bout took place on Matchroom Boxing's card at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California, headlined by Diego Pacheco vs. Kevin Lele Sadjo.

In the first round, Mercado softened Moran with several left hooks and came over the top with a sledgehammer of a right hand. The powerful shot left Moran on wobbly legs, as he backed up and slumped into the bottom of the ropes for the first knockdown of the fight.

Mercado was more measured in the second. He didn't chase the knockout, but he clearly established that he was the better and stronger fighter, all the way until he scored the knockout.

Mercado picked up a secondary WBO title, and in the process should move closer to a crack at Ring and WBO champion Teofimo Lopez, who next faces Shakur Stevenson on January 31.

More meaningful matchups should be in store in 2026 for Mercado, who’s already calling for Lopez, Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis and Richardson Hitchins.

The win against Moran marked another credible contender that Mercado has crushed. Mercado, a 24-year-old from Pomona, California, made his pro debut in 2021 and already has wins against Jose Pedraza, Jeremia Nakathila, Henry Lundy, Jayson Velez and Xolisani Ndongeni.

Moran came into the clash having already established his name on the world level, albeit in losses against Andy Cruz (KO7, 2024), Devin Haney (KO7, 2019), Arnold Barboza (UD10, 2021), and Jose Pedraza (UD10, 2018).